A synergistic blend of two cherished classics, the Miami Vice is as polarising as the drink itself. Dip into the two separately and you may be quietly satisfied. Flip between the two and mix them up in glass will allow the Piña Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri to become skilfully intertwined but be warned -there’s no going back.
The Miami Vice divides opinions. On one side you have the nostalgic holiday-goer, reminiscing in tropical bliss. The other may be meet with hesitant huffs and puffs from reluctant bartenders, working up the patience to construct you a masterpiece – as opposed to a sloshy mess. For us, the Miami Vice represents the type of drink you want at a swim-up beach bar and a retro-styled oddity that just can’t fail to make you smile (and we secretly love it).
You'll need to make these two below, then layer both in the same glass.
Strawberry Daiquiri
1 serving
50 ml Golden Rum
40 Strawberry Puree
15 Lime Juice
15 ml Sugar Syrup
1 Handful Crushed Ice
Add all the ingredients into a blender and have at it.
Pina Colada
1 serving
50 ml Golden Rum
50 ml Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
120 ml Pineapple Juice
1 Slice Pineapple
1 Handful Crushed Ice
Add all of the liquid ingredients to an ice friendly blender and whizz until the drink is mixed and the ice has dissolved into a thick, melted-ice cream consistency.
Pour into a hurricane glass layered on top of the Strawberry Daiquiri.
A small note about quantities
You are making two drinks, then marrying into one glass. So, based on the recipe above, you are making enough for two people, or alternatively, will need a reasonably big glass to deal with the volume. If doing the latter - just remember the amount you drinking too - they can quickly get the best of you…
Tips for how to make a Miami Vice Cocktail:
Texture – Play around with your ice! The amount of crushed ice you use and for how long you blend, will affect the texture of your cocktail. Some prefer using more frozen fruit than crushed ice to avoid watering down the consistency. Others blend it for longer to prevent ice-chunked graininess. Experiment with the perfect balance and you may just have yourself a velvety and vibrant concoction of paradise – just be careful not to over-work it. Don’t forget – you’ll need to put both in a glass together so figure out which is heaviest and add that first if you want the layering effect to work.
Fruit – The two cocktails separately can be quite sweet. Use fresher ingredients like pineapple chunks and fresh strawberries instead of puree’s as they are an irrefutable upgrade. It’s these kind of little adjustments and substitutions that will create a perfectly delicious and refreshing drink, rather than just a novelty and artificial amusement.
Layering – Strawberry and Pineapple can be a harmonious pairing when balanced correctly. Make sure you are layering equal parts of each cocktail, to avoid one outshining the other. The creamy sweet consistency of the Piña Colada will only benefit from a balanced acidity and tartness from the Daiquiri. This is when you can play around with the layering. Either a simple stack on top of each other, or you could really push the boat out and test your skills …and layer vertically! Just remember to have fun.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MIAMI VICE:
The history of the Miami Vice is obscure, enigmatic and decorated in pastel rumours sprouting straight from 1980s pop culture.
Many want to believe that the drink was named after the colourful crime drama that dominated the small screen from 1984 – 1989. Mainly so we can have and excuse to wear a suit and roll up the sleeves. Bartender and partner of Pouring Ribbons (Alchemy’s flagship bar), Joaquín Simó says; ‘it was an influential show from a style perspective. Everyone wanted to dress like Crockett and Tubbs. The linen suits, the pastel t-shirts…suddenly Miami became this cool place’.
For some very brief context on blended drinks, the blender was created in 1922 which then became popularised by manufacturer Waring in the 30s. Mario Martinez debuted his frozen Margarita machine in 1971 which kicked started the beginning of frozen drinks.
When a drink has such a fun and playfully exciting nature about it, there will always be attempts to elevate the concoction. The Broken Shaker Miami has been known to tweak and tamper with the formula using fresh strawberries and unsweetened coconut cream. There’s no need to overthink it though - the Miami Vice is at its best when it’s not too serious. It’s supposed to be a bit silly and out there and Miami in its 80’s pomp – a bit showy and well, plasticised. Besides, cocktails are meant to be fun, creative and adaptable so with that - do what suits you!
